The home, designed as a restorative retreat, has two private beaches

Situated on seven-and-a-half acres with over 1,400 feet of linear shoreline, this property combines the Nordic feel of the region with Asian influences—what listing agent Ross Melby refers to as “Scandinavian Zen.” With its extensive use of glass, and its two wings separated by an entry courtyard, the home’s exterior also calls to mind the best of mid-century modernism.

The interior of the home, which is perched atop a cliff overlooking Lake Superior, takes advantage of natural materials—walls of stone, and lots of thin-slat wood paneling—and adorns these clean lines with relics of the owner’s travels throughout Asia.

For as much time and effort as the owner put into the home—he and his husband spent four years living in the original guest house while the new home was being constructed—it was the lot itself that initially caught his attention.

The owner, who wished to remain anonymous, explains: “I spent many years traveling up and down north shore of Lake Superior on my motorcycle. I fell in love with this particular property early on because of the front yard—which has been featured in all sorts of coffee table books and several postcards in tourist shops. It’s definitely the most dramatic property on the north shore.

"The views from the site are just spectacular,” he continued. The first thing I do when guests arrive is bring them to the bridge that connects the main cliff to the what we call the island, where the views from there are just jaw-dropping.“

The guiding principle when designing the house with an architect, said Mr. Melby, was "to make it a genuine retreat—somewhere you could go to escape the bustle of the city and Zen out.” With 11 different views from inside the home, there are certainly plenty of options as to where that might take place.

The Stats

The four-bedroom house has two full bathrooms, five partial bathrooms and clocks in at 7,200 square feet.

Amenities

While building the home, the owners envisioned the property as a restorative nature retreat—and they took this credo very seriously.

Apart from the outdoor hot tub overlooking the lake, the infrared sauna, and the treetop art studio, there’s also a bathroom entirely dedicated to wellness. It’s decked out with a steam shower, a wooden bath whose aromas are ignited every time it’s filled, and a series of infusers that spray out the scent of your choice.

And the retreat is meant to be shared—there’s a two-bedroom private guest house, not to mention two private beaches (you and your guests could each have your own!).

There are very few properties that sit right on the shoreline, and even fewer that boast the kind of exposure this one has, perched as it is on its own little cliff. Apart from the nature seen out the window, the Palisade Retreat area is enviable for its proximity to the Superior Hiking Trail, just one mile away; to the Lutsen Mountains Ski Area; to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a park with camping grounds; and to Palisade Head, a unique landmark of Lake Superior.

The home is three-and-a-half hours north of downtown Minneapolis, and just an hour and a half from Duluth International Airport.